Paper napkin



Oct. 4, 1932T G. H. GARDNER PAPER NAPKIN Filed Feb. 3. 1930 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE H. GARDNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, VASSIG'NOR TO THE MENASHA PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN PAPER Narxm application inea `reimmfy a, 1930. serial No. 425,435.

This invention relates to paper napkins and like folded sheet objects.

In the preferred form of this invention, a

sheet of rectangularmaterial is folded along v parallel lines in a zig-zag fashion. rI he Inaterial is then folded along a medial l1ne transversely with respect to its initial lines of fold to thereby form closed and opposed open end portions. Thereafter, the closed end thus formed is folded upon a non-medial line back against the bodyv section to form an end section shorter than the body section. Napkins folded in this manner can be stacked in the dispenser with the shorter end section outwardly positioned, thereby exposing to the user a closed end portion that can be readily gripped by the fingers and quickly removed from the dispenser without tearing or otherwise mutilating the napkin.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide napkins, towels and the like folded in such a manner than when the same is stacked in a dispenser, the closed end section will be exposed for readily gripping the same by the fingers of the user to quickly remove the napkin and the like from the dispenser.

It is a further important object of this invention to provide folded napkins, having closed and open end portions, the closed end portions thereof to be of greater thickness, so that when the napkins are stacked in a dispenser, the closed end portion of the outermost napkin will be exposed through the window of the dispenser and the thinner end portion will be loosely disposed in the dispenser, thereby facilitating the removal of the napkin.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide napkins and the like folded in such manner as to have a greater thickness at one end thereof, so that when these articles are stacked in a dispenser, a portion of the thicker end of the foremost napkin will be exposed and caused to project outwardly r through the dispensing window to facilitate the readily gripping and removing of the articles from the dispenser.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawing and specification.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-y panying drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet of ma terial showing the dott-ed lines along which the same is folded in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective elevational view showing the material folded in a zig-zag fashion along the transverse dotted lines of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view drawn toa reduced scale, illustrating the article folded along the medial line, transversely to its initial fold as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view drawn to a reduced scale illustrating the article folded along the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a `side elevational view drawn to a reduced scale .illustrating they manner of stacking the folded napkins.

Figure 6 is a similar side elevational view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

As shown on the drawing:

The paper napkin selected to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention is formed from a rectangular sheet 10. To illustrate the manner in which this napkin is folded, the sheet 10 is shown (Figure 1) with transverse dotted lines 11, 12, 13, and 14 and longitudinal parallel lines 15, 16, and 17 marked thereon.

The sheet 10 is folded in a zig-zag manner along the transverse parallel lines 11, 12, 13 and 14 (Figure 2) to produce a plurality of coextensive sections 18 '19, 20, 21 and 22, which together form a' fan-folded strip, indicated as a Whole by the reference numeral 24. The strip 24: is then folded along the medial line 16 to form coextensive multi-ply sections 25 and 26, with the lines 15 and 17 coinciding with each other. As illustrated in Figure 3 the folded strip thus formed is provided with an open end 27 made up of free edges and a closed or folded end 28, the purpose of which will be fully disclosed hereinafter.

The closed end 28 of the partly folded napkin is thereafter folded on the line coinciding a dispenser, the over-all thickness of the stack of napkins being greater through the shorter end portions or tabs 30, pressure upon the rear of the stack will result in urging the napkins toward the dispensing window and cause the closed end portion 28 to be exposed and project outwardly through the window into a position such that it may be readily grasped by the user and the napkins removed from the dispenser by simply pulling downwardly on closed end 28 until the upper portion of the folded napkin is free of the disenser. Since the lower end of the napkin,

eing thinner, is more loosely disposed in the dispenser, a subsequent slight upward pull is sufficient to remover the napkin entirely from the dispenser.

In the modified form as disclosed in Figure 6, the napkin is formed by initially folding the sheet as above de'scribedto produce a folded strip such as illustrated in Figure 3, and thenfolding the open end portion 27 of this strip, instead of the closed end as formerly, overagainst the body section 29 to form an end section 31 shorter than said body section. The napkins folded according to the modified form of the invention are stacked in a manner illustrated in Figure 6,

which shows the folded napkins stacked with the shorter end sections 31 all facing in the same direction but alternately extending against the body downwardly from the top folded edgev and upwardly from the lower folded edge. v Y

It is thus apparent that I have provided means for folding napkins so that they can be neatly and compactly stacked in a dispenser, with an end tab conveniently disposed to permit ready removal of the napkins successively from the dispenser.

It is to be understood that instead of folding the sheet initially in a zig-'zag fashion, the sheet may be initially folded along successive parallel medial lines to form a strip of four or eight plies and this strip then folded as above described to form a finished napkin having the desired size and characteristics.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A folded paper napkin for dispensing from a dispensing machine, said napkin comprising a multi-ply body portion and a single shorter tab portion folded thereagainst, said napkin* being formed from a rectangular sheet initially folded along parallel lines in zig-zag fashion, the resulting fan-fold sheet being then folded along a medial line transversely of the initiallines of fold and the folded end thus formed being then folded along a non-medial line to lie against the body'portion.

2. As an article of manufacture, a napkin for dispensing from a dispensing machine, said napkin being formed from a sheet of material folded to form an elongated rectangular stripsaid strip being then folded transversely of the initial direction of fold to form open and closed end portions, one of said end portions beingthen folded against the body portion to form a rectangular grasping tab shorter than the resulting body portion.

3. A foldednapkin for dispensing from a dispensing machine, said napkin comprising a multi-ply body portion-formed from a rectangular sheet to constitute a substantially rectangular folded piece of paper, said body portion presenting on one side thereof a uniform rectangular face of paper and on the other side thereof presenting a relatively short f free Vmulti-ply rectangular section folded from the aforesaid rectangular IJiece and having an edge substantially parallel to the edge of the relatively longer section of the body portion, there being ycontinuity of the fibres on one side of the section over and across to the edge of the other side of the section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed` my name at Chicago, Cook County,

Illinois.

` GEORGE H. GARDNER. 

